Universal joint



ug.'26,1'930. I RLCHETTICK y n 1,774,226

UNIVERSAL JOINT 'Filed April 15', 1929 *PAT-EnrGFFICE;

ROBERT IV.. crinmmrcxionrawnuska, oKLAHoMaAssIGNoR or ONE-,HALF 'rofr.vJ.- f Y teniamos rAwHUsKA,'oKLnHo1vi-A y UlvvER-snn vJornalv Yapplicati@ inea` April 13,

My invention rela-testo 'improvements in universal jo1nts,rsuch as areemployed 1n automobiles and like vehicles for-coupling the propellershaft vwiththe transmission .'gtshaft, andy more particularlyto the balland sleeve assembly which encloses the universal joint and which ismounted upon and telescopes withv one end of the propeller-shaft tube.

Wear upon these parts caused by 'back'A and.

automobile which are subjected vto end and 2,0 V`side thrusts resultingfrom looseness between the worn sleeve and tube. l

The object of my invention is to provide a universal joint ball andsleeve assembly which may be readily and 'quickly adjusted 25.7tocompensate forwear without the aid of skilled mechanics, and obviatingthe necesl sity of pulling down the rear end to replace thi; worn balland sleeve and propeller shaft tu e. 4- A further object of my inventionis to provide a ball assembly with av tapered sleeve having a long,split, conical bushing which is held by the sleeve in proper position atall times to slidably support the forward end f Y of a propeller shafttube, the bushing being capable of longitudinal adjustment from oneendof the sleeve to compensate for wear be-rV tween the propeller shafttube and bushing. Other objects and advantages of my inveningdescription and claims.

l Referring now tothe accompanying drawings, which are made a parthereof, and on which similar reference characters indicate similarparts;

versal joint assembly, constructed in accordance with my invention, andshowing the relation of the several parts in use.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of therear ball and ltion willbe more apparentfrom the follow Fig. lis a view partly in section of a uni-A 1929.Serial No. 354,911.-

sleeve assembly which constitutes theessence of myyinvention f Fig. 13yis a longitudinal sectional view of thewvear compensating sleeve orbushing, shown ,assembled in F ig.' 1, and l Y Fignt is a rearv end viewof the bushing shown in Fig. 3. A f i In the drawings the portionindicatedas A, representsV the power transmissionI shaft,

B the main drive shaft or propeller shaft, C 6o the universalf'driving fconnection between these shafts, and D is'the propeller shaftV tubewhich encloses the vshaft B. All of these parts may be of any well-knownor approved construction i and design, provided 651 they donotdepartifrom the spirit of my ing vention.

Surrounding thefuniversal connection C l of the shafts'A and B 1s auniversal housing consisting of a fixed front member or ball'f70 fretaining socket 10 and a rear ball assembly 11. The rear ball assemblyy11 is swiveled in the socket 10 and held against longitudinal Ymovement by aretaining `collar 12 detach! ablyv secured to the rear endofthe'socketf75 The 'front endof the'ball assembly 11is off c p'conventional construction and-carries atits rear end asleeve 13. vByreference to Figs. e 1 and 2-of the drawings 'it'will be noted that thesleeve 13 is provided with internal 80" l threads 14 atits rea-r end',and between the* Yball 11 Aandl the threaded end portion 14C the 1sleeve is internally flared to provide a smooth tapered surface, thelarger kdiameter being" adjacent the threaded end 14.' .f

Within thetapered portion of the sleevek 13 is disposed a longitudinallyadjustable wear compensating sleeve or bushing 15 which islongitudinally split at 16 to permit it to be contracted.l The Ainteriorof the v sleeve'` orbushing 15 is of :uniform diameter throughout totelescope upon the forwardv f end of the propeller shaft tube D. The eX-terior surface 'of the split sleeve or bushing 15is'taperedcomplementarily to the interior 95v of the iared sleeve 13, sothat the split sleeve' or bushing maybe forced endwise into the sleeve13vfor uniformly contracting the bush-v ing about-.the propeller shafttube D.

A cylindrical adjusting screw 17 is provid- 100 apertures 19circumferentially spaced adjacent the rearend of the screw.

A lock nut 20 is threaded onto the adjusting` screw 17 -between thecooperating portions 22 and 23 'to hold said gasket firmly in Contactwith the to abut the rear end of the tapered sleeve 13 andn lock theparts in adjusted position.

The tapered surface of the split sleeve or bushing 15 is reduced indiameter adjacent its larger rear end 21 to prevent contact withandinjury to the threads 1,4.1 of the sleeve 13 during adjustment and isfurther provided with a reduced aXia-lextension 22 which fits into acooperating recess 23 in the opposed face of lthe adjusting screw. Adirt excluding and grease retaining gasket 24 is insert-ed surface ofthe propeller shaft tube D. The split sleeve 15 is also provided with athreaded depression 25 for the reception of a set screw 26, which inassembled position, ex-

tends through an axial slot 27'in the body of the sleeve 13 and a nut 28is threaded onto the set screw 26 for locking the sleeve 13 and bushing15 in adjusted position.V It will thus be seen' that the adjusting screw17 may be disengaged from the sleeve 13 and the sleeve andadjustingscrew slid rearwardly on the propeller shaft tube to affordaccess to the enclosed driving parts A, B and C, without the f vnecessity of removing the rear end from under `the automobile. i

Itwill be obvious thatvarious changes may be made in my device'withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and I there-V fore do notlimit myself to what is shown in the drawing andfdescribed in thespecification but only as indicated in the appended claims. s

What I claim is:

1. A universal joint ball and sleeve assembly for a propeller shafttube, comprising a hollow ball member, a sleeve connected to said. balland having a tapered internal surface, a split tubular member mounted insaid `sleeve to telescope with said propeller shaft tube, and meanscooperating with said sleeve and tubular` member for. contracting thelatter.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in further combination with meansfor locking said sleeve and tubular member against relative movement.

3. A wear compensating ball and sleeve l shaft tubes, comprising innerand outer correspondingly tapered sleeves, one of said sleeves having aballshaped enlargement at one end and the other being slotted to permitits contraction, and means for moving one of said sleeves longitudinallyof the other.

1. A universal support for the forward end of propeller shaft tubes,comprising a ball and sleeve assembly, said sleeve being threaded at itsfree end and internally ta.- pered from the ball to point adjacent thethreaded end, a wear compensating tubular member mounted in said sleeveand adapted to telescope withsaid propeller shaft tube, said tubularmember having its external surface tapered comp'lementarily to theinternal taper of said sleeve, and an adjusting screw for said tubularmember having threaded engagement with said sleeve.

